A Heart Audit (Mark 7:1-30)

Introduction

Auditing Poles for TWiG

Giving accurate description of where the pole is

A detailed inventory of what is present on the poles

Following where the lines went from pole to pole, checking for secondary poles

A need for accuracy

Auditing our hearts

What about the need for us to inventory what is within our own hearts?

The need to pay close attention to what is happening inside us?

The need to rightly allow us to be under the microscope of the Word of God.

Context/Recap

Read Mark 7:1-30

Main Point: The defilement that comes from within our hearts reveals our brokenness. Therefore we must humble ourselves before Jesus, for he is our only hope.

Points

Point #1: A Defiled Heart

Point #2: A Humbled Heart

Point #1: A Defiled Heart

Traditions of Elders

Much like the disciples returned and gathered to Jesus, now Mark uses the comparison of how the Pharisees gather to him, along with some of the scribes. The play on words of gathering though is to contrast between the events of Mark 6:30 and here in 7:1. The disciples gathered after being separated and were coming to share all that had happened in their journey. The Pharisees and the scribes however, are gathering to Jesus to question him. Keep in mind the last time we saw the Pharisees in our study in Mark was back in Mark 3:6 where they had gone out and discussed how to destroy Jesus. Likewise, the scribes in their last mention in Mark 3:22 was accusing Jesus of being demon possessed. So this gathering from the start is not intended to be friendly or good. They aim to expose Jesus to the crowds in order to destroy him.

And we see this ill-intent play out in the moment they find the disciples of Jesus breaking with their tradition there in verse 2. The issue was that the disciples didn’t wash their hands prior to eating. But it wasn’t a matter of them critiquing them for good hygiene. Notice the phrasing that is used there in verse 2, defiled. Yes, it gives the elaboration of that is, unwashed. But notice how verses 3-5 again as I slowly re-read these. (READ).

In these 3 verses, we see that it isn’t merely about hygiene, it is about the traditions of the elders, the leaders of Israel. And the Pharisees and scribes are questioning them on this and implying that the disciples are therefore ceremonial unclean. Under Jewish law, to be ceremonial unclean would mean one would have to exit the camp of Israel and go outside of it for a period of time. This would also prevent those who are unclean from offering a sacrifice or drawing near to God’s temple during their uncleanness. So, you see it is more than just a hygiene rebuttal, it is pertaining to that of spiritual uncleanness.

Sadly though, the pharisees and the scribes have missed the point here. They claim to honor the Lord, yet they don’t. Notice Jesus’ words to them from Isaiah here in verses 6 and 7. (READ). And then he adds there in verse 8 (READ).

Hearts Far from God

The people have left God’s given commandments to hold to the tradition of man. And the specifics of this are then given in verses 9-13.

Corban

In particular, they have exchanged God’s clear command to Honor father and mother and the warning here and turned to their own interpretation, their own version of this. They say there in verses 11-13, But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, ‘Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is given to God)—then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.

The command of God in honoring father and mother was a command to care for them by providing for them in their older age. Where father and mother would have been the source of financial provision and care for their children during their early years of life. It is now the children who are to now care in this way for their parents in their elderly years. Keeping in mind that there was no retirement savings for the finances, trades, care were all passed from one generation to the next. Therefore, the parents needed this care when they were no longer able to care for themselves. This was God’s command. However, the tradition of man that was being taught was that instead of caring for their parents financially, they were to give this to God instead, seeming to be devoted in their religion. However, what they were doing was not honoring the LORD. In fact, this forsaking of God’s given commands shows how far their hearts were from God.

The call to worship and honor God is not left to our preferences and sets of traditions. The call to worship and honor God is given in and through his word. God has defined throughout the whole of the Bible how his people are to gather and worship him. We see this in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy in how the people are to gather in ceremonial worship. This is reiterated as the temple is built in 2 Samuel, and again as the temple is rebuilt in Ezekiel. Even the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are a reading of God’s whole law outloud and calling the people to carry these commands out in how they gather and worship God.

But, this isn’t just given in the Old Testament either. The New Testament is full of specific instructions for us as the church in how our worship of God and our corporate gatherings are to look. By corporate gathering, I simply mean the whole gathering, not a partial gathering. As we do a flyover of these references, while I will not read them, I would encourage you to write them down and look at later or come find me after the service with any questions.

We see these instructions from Matthew 16 on who is in and out with the keys of the kingdom of the church. We see these instructions and commands in Colossians 3:16-17 and Ephesians 5:18-20 in how we are to worship the LORD, but at the same time our singing is to extend horizontally in addressing one another in song. For it is in addressing the one another we are called to teach and admonish one another in what we are singing. This is why the songs we sing are called to be deep and rich theologically.

We see this in 1 Corinthians 14 in giving of a need for orderly worship with all to be done for the building up of the body. Of course in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus too, we are instructed in the ordering of the church, in particular to the offices of elders and deacons. This being the two distinct offices within the church body.

The Bible is far from silent on the particulars of how the church is intended to be shaped and order itself. However, much like the Pharisees and scribes, we have lost these things in exchanging them for the traditions of man. Therefore, we will do well to examine the Bible in how we are to gather together instead of always assuming how we have done things in our history is correct. Even examining it against how we think and feel it should be structured.

A Welsh preacher who lived from 1899-1981 by the name of Martyn-Lloyd Jones said, “The church is always to be under the Word; she must be; we must keep her there. You must not assume that because the church started correctly, she will continue so. She did not do so in the New Testament times; she has not done so since. Without being constantly reformed by the Word the church becomes something very different. We must always keep the church under the Word.”

Central City Baptist Church, let us not be comfortable with traditions of those before us, but let us come under God’s word and always be reforming according to it. Let not our preferences and feelings guide us, but let the word of God almighty continue to shape us individually and corporately. For unless we are willing to constantly reform according to the word, traditions will sink in and lead our hearts away from God instead of towards him.

Defilement

But now, as Mark does, we must return to defilement and examine what actually defiles us. Jesus says there in verse 15, “There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”

Of course, the disciples who are still not there yet in grasping the things of Jesus just yet, ask for clarification there in verse 17. Even with them slow still to grasp this truth, Jesus explains it in verses 18-23. He shows that one cannot be defiled by what goes into their bodies. In other words, what we eat, what we drink, even if with dirty hands cannot make our bodies defiled. Now, there is good hygiene certainly to be practiced for sure, but even then this isn’t what defiles us in a spiritual sense. Even all food is being declared as clean as we see in the explanation of verse 19. Remember previously certain foods, including pork, were declared unclean for the Jewish people.

What defiles us though is revealed in verses 20-23, which says (READ).

Defilement is that which flows out of our hearts then, not what enters through our mouths. Defilement is the evil that comes out of our sinful hearts. And we are given here 12 specific examples of these evil thoughts that flow out of us and will defile us. And while some of these are normally self explanatory, I want us to briefly touch on each of these and how they defile us. To help us work through these, we have six that are evil deeds: sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, and wickedness. Then the last six are of immoral character and these are: deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.

Evil Deeds

Let’s look at these six evil deeds first.

Sexual immorality

Sexual immorality describes all sexual acts and relations outside the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. Putting that of pornography, adultery, sex or sexual acts outside of marriage, and homosexuality all on equal playing fields. They are all sin before a holy God.

Theft

Theft is pretty self-explanatory in taking something that is not ours without asking or paying for it.

Murder

Again, murder should be fairly self-explanatory in it being that of willingly taking another person’s life.

Adultery

Adultery is similar to that of sexual immorality, except focusing on that of sexual relations with another person’s spouse.

Coveting

Coveting as defined by Kent Hughes in his commentary is an appetite for what belongs to others.

Wickedness

And finally, wickedness. Again, Hughes defines this as “a heart that is “completely equipped to inflict evil on any man””.

Immoral Character

Next, we have the six immoral characteristics that defile the heart.

Deceit

The ESV Expository Commentary notes deceit as harmful deceptiveness. Or another way of putting it, the aim to mislead with lies or intentional half truths.

Sensuality

This is defined as a lustful lack of self-control in the ESV Expository Commentary.

Envy

Envy is that of an evil eye, in particular an evil eye that watches what others have.

Slander

Webster’s defines slander as a false and malicious statement injurious to another’s reputation; to spread or utter slander about; defame. This is why slander and gossip are similar, but very different. Slander is always with the intent of harming another person in what you say about them.

Pride

To quote Kent Hughes again, “Pride is the sin of a self-praising person who has contempt for everyone but himself.”

Foolishness

And finally foolishness is that of a morally or spiritually desensitized person.

These defile man, not breaking traditions

The six evil deeds and the six immoral characters are what defile our hearts. While these don’t cover every area, examining our hearts and seeing if these things are found there is foundational if we are truly to seek God. For it is not the traditions of man that will keep us from defilement. The thing that deals with our defilement is by examining our hearts and turning to Jesus.

In his commentary, Kent Hughs says, “The gospel is consummately radical: a new birth, a new heart, a new creation, a resurrection! Apart from Christ, the world is desperately lost. It can only be redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus. There is no other way. We can polish the outside. We can educate ourselves. We can do “good” things. But none of these things will really change us. We need Christ’s life.”.

To rid ourselves of defilement we must lean into the arms of Jesus, trusting in his blood to cleanse us from the stains of sin. Friend, if you have yet to place your faith in Jesus, the only way to deal with your heart’s defilement is to confess your sin and place your faith in Jesus. He is the only way for that sin to be dealt with. Of your own power, you can never clean yourself up, you can never rid yourself of your heart defilement. In fact, you need a new heart that comes in being born again in Jesus. For Romans 10:9 tells us: because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Believe this truth this morning and be cleansed! Enter into that new birth by faith.

Others, we have professed faith in Jesus, but we neglect the self-care of our own heart in continuing to examine it. We fail to see the evil still within us. The book of James uses the illustration of a man looking into a mirror and going away, quickly forgetting what he looks like. So it is with us if we fail to deal with the defilement within ourselves. Christian, we are to kill this sin within ourselves or it will be killing us. This is a paraphrase of what John Owen, the English Puritan has written in calling us to mortify, that is to subdue our sin.

We mortify this sin from within as we grow to treasure Christ more. This is why it is so important for us to grow in the knowledge of Christ, that we may know him deeply and intimately. It’s kind of like a marriage, you don’t marry your husband or wife and remain at a distance from them. You grow to know them more and more as time goes on. Christian, is this true for us in our relationship with Christ? Are we growing to know him more deeply as time goes on?

Jesus has made himself known to us as the word became flesh. Christ is to be what we treasure more than that of silver and gold. Treasure Jesus more than you do that of even your own family as Luke 14 lays out in the cost of discipleship. Jesus is to be above all, not merely added onto the list of things that hold our hearts. He is to become the very center of our lives. He is to be our most treasured possession. And it is as we learn to value him more than we do the things within our own defiled heart that this sin can be killed off. But as long as we hold onto our own ways, failing to allow the word to inspect our own hearts, this sin will remain unchecked.

Other ways of fighting off this heart defilement is by surrounding ourselves with the body of Christ. For we are often blinded by our own sins and will need others to come alongside us and help us to become aware of these sins. I think of a few brothers and sisters over time who have helped speak into my life. They are the ones who would call me out if my tone was harsh. Others even in the pursuit of dating, one dear sister in Christ challenged me of some immaturity in my pursuit. Others still have challenged me and helped me grow in understanding the beauty of the local church in the midst of all her flaws. In order to walk together though, we must know one another, spend time with one another. And I am not just talking knowing the details of one’s life history. I mean knowing one another in intimate ways of deep friendships in which we know the struggles of one another. Getting close enough in relationship to one another that we know each other’s warts. That we know each other’s flaws, and we love one another through those flaws and help stir one another to grow in Christlikeness.

Brothers and sisters, we need each other to sharpen us, to help us remove the blinders, to encourage us, to challenge us, and to at times even rebuke us in our sin. For as the body of Christ we are called to help each other with love and gentleness along the way, as we continue to point each other to Christ. And yet, we cannot do this apart from a humbled heart, which is where we turn in our 2nd point this morning.

Point #2: A Humbled Heart

The Gentile Woman and her request

Jesus seeks again to be alone, but that wasn’t happening. This time a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit hears of him and comes falling at his feet, pleading for her daughter. But notice what it says there in verse 26, “Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.”

This is an important aside here in acknowledging that this was a Gentile woman. The Israelites did not associate with Gentiles, this woman as one commentator said, had multiple strikes against her. She was a woman, a Gentile, and a Syrophoenician indicating that she was from the land of Canaan who Israel was supposed to have put out, but didn’t.

And yet, it is this Gentile woman who comes to Jesus, seeking for his help for her daughter. It is this Gentile who comes falling at the feet of Jesus opposed to the religious crowd of the Pharisees and scribes who gather to Jesus and begin questioning him. And she makes a plea for Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter.

The Bread isn’t for you

However, in the Gentile woman asking, notice Jesus’ response in verse 27. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

This use of the term dog is a recognition of the lowly state of the woman and the Gentiles. The Gentiles are thought of as outsiders, not insiders. In other words, they did not belong to the household of Israel.

Therefore, Jesus in using this is doing so in the realization that the Gentile woman is coming as an outsider of the Jewish belief, as one who is coming to ask for what belongs to Israel first as the children, the people of God.

The Crumbs are enough

And yet, the answer of the woman is remarkable in verse 28. It says: But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” In this reply, the woman isn’t asking to take what is promised to Israel, but asking merely to take the scraps off the table in tasting of what is theirs. Yet she knows that even what falls from Israel down to that of the dogs is eaten and consumed by them. Her faith is made remarkable in recognizing that the bread was not intended just for the Jewish people, but for the nations as well.

This foreign Gentile woman shows an understanding in her answer about the kingdom of God and reveals her faith. Which is why Jesus answers how he does in verse 29: And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” Matthew’s account is even clearer in that it says there in Matthew 15:28: Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

A Humbled Heart

The Pharisees and scribes held onto the traditions of man instead of seeking God with a pure heart. The supposed religious zealots missed the point. And yet, here a Gentile woman fully humbles herself in coming to Jesus by faith and humility. For our religious upbringings and location is not what saves us. It is faith and faith alone in Christ alone that saves us. And we cannot come to the place of faith without realizing our need for Jesus. As the Gentile mother, we need to recognize our unworthiness to come to Jesus. And then we need to humble ourselves before him, realizing that he is the only way. There is no good we can do to enter heaven. There is no inheritance given to us at birth. There is no way to eternal life apart from Jesus. Therefore, our only boast can be Jesus.

Conclusion

Audits are useful tools in helping us collect particular data sets and examine it with a close eye. When it comes to our hearts, we must continue to take audits of it to keep a close watch on ourselves and to keep sin from getting in and consuming us. We must continually allow the scriptures to be a mirror to see what is inside of us, and then when we find sin within us, we must be killing it. For we will either kill sin or sin will kill us. But above all, may we continually humble ourselves by confessing sin and running to Jesus. For it is he who is our only hope in life and death.

Let’s pray.